


While You and Me We Hold and Lean

by cherrybina



Category: Merlin (BBC) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-15
Updated: 2009-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-02 20:49:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrybina/pseuds/cherrybina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bradley and Colin accidentally share a cuddle nap, and it turns out to be the best nap they've ever had.</p>
            </blockquote>





	While You and Me We Hold and Lean

The first time it happens is quite by accident.

The weather has been uncooperative with nothing but day after day of rain, so when the clouds finally break, production decides to squeeze in as much filming as they can to make up for lost time. Three 16-hour days later and Bradley is completely exhausted. On the fourth day, the director pulls him aside to explain that he'd like to film some scenes when the sun is a bit lower in the sky, and tells him to get some rest in the meantime, as Arthur's not meant to look quite so droopy.

Bradley is grateful for the break, and he heads over to the cluster of trailers to try to find someone willing to give him a ride back to the hotel. He finally gives up after four different people turn him down for various reasons, and so he heads to the small trailer. No one really likes it because it's old and has a weird smell, but it also doesn't have a Wii bowling tournament, so it seems like the best place for a nap.

When Bradley pushes the door open, he discovers he's not the only one trying to find a quiet place. Colin is there in front of him, stretched out on the small sofa, his long legs handing over the side.

"What are you doing?" Bradley asks.

"What's it look like?" Colin replies with a yawn. "Trying to take a nap."

"Shove over," Bradley says as he crosses the small space and nudges Colin's shin with his knee.

"You're joking. There's hardly enough room for me."

Bradley sighs down at him. "There's nowhere else to go and I'm about to fall asleep on my feet."

"Fine," Colin grumbles, shifting to one end of the sofa, curling his legs up to his chest.

Bradley flops down on the opposite end, kicking his legs out in front of him and trying to find a comfortable position for his head. "Just stay on your side, yeah?"

Colin just mumbles something about how he was here first, but Bradley ignores him.

Bradley expects nothing more than a short, unsatisfying doze, but when he wakes later, it's clear from the quality of light that streams through the tiny windows high on the wall of the trailer that some time has passed. He's strangely comfortable, and he wants nothing more than to close his eyes again and go back to sleep, but as he snuggles his head back down into the soft warmth, he feels the shift of another body beneath him. He rubs his eyes for a moment, feeling disoriented.

Colin's legs are stretched out over Bradley's side of the sofa in precisely the way he'd warned against, and Bradley had apparently slumped over at some point and is now draped across the lower half of Colin's body, his face just inches from his — oh _fuck_.

Bradley's brain finally clicks back into gear and he scrambles up to a sitting position, accidentally elbowing Colin sharply in the side as he moves.

"Wha…?" Colin's voice is thick with sleep.

"I _told_ you to keep your legs to yourself," Bradley says gruffly pushing Colin away.

Colin is still a little out of it and he blinks up at Bradley in confusion. "Were you laying on me?"

"No," Bradley replies immediately, glaring at Colin.

"You were. What the fuck, Bradley?"

"Oh come off it, I was asleep. It's not like I purposefully tried to cuddle you."

"Yeah, well it's still kind of weird."

"Oh honestly," Bradley says, rolling his eyes, "I was _asleep_. Unconscious. Not aware of my own actions."

Colin sits up and rubs a hand through his hair, making it stand on end, and Bradley looks away, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"Oh wow," Colin says. "We slept for almost two hours."

Bradley looks up at the clock on the wall and realises he's right. It's strange — naps usually leave him feeling groggy and often more tired than before, but right now he feels incredibly refreshed and full of energy. He glances briefly at Colin and catches his eye, and then they both look away again awkwardly. Bradley is trying to think of the right thing to say when Colin speaks.

"Um, I think I'm gonna go," he says, and hurries out of the trailer without a backward glance.

Bradley sits on the sofa and rubs his hand across his eyes, wondering how he managed to just have the best nap of his life with his co-star.

***

The second time it happens is by unspoken agreement.

It's only two days later, but they've been filming some really physically gruelling scenes. That along with the fact that Bradley hasn't been sleeping well for the past few nights have him feeling exhausted. This time he doesn't even try to find a ride back to the hotel. He finds Colin tossing the remains of his lunch into the bin and without a word, they both head over to the little trailer.

They sit side by side on the sofa in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Bradley finally speaks.

"Look, it's…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Colin interrupts.

At first it's awkward. They're not sure how to arrange themselves, but after shifting around a bit they finally settle into place with Bradley stretched on his back and Colin tucked in along side him, his head resting on Bradley's chest. After a moment of complete stillness, Bradley slowly brings his arm around Colin, resting it hesitantly on his back. Colin stiffens slightly and then relaxes under his touch, letting out a soft sigh.

Sleep comes easily with the warm and comforting weight of Colin pressed along the length of Bradley's body.

Bradley wakes first, and he listens to the slow, easy sound of Colin's breaths. He keeps his arm where it is, and when Colin starts to stir, moving his head a little, Bradley gets a whiff of his hair. Without even realising it, he leans in for more, but as Colin comes fully awake, Bradley jerks his head back. Colin shifts up on knees, gazing down at Bradley with sleepy eyes, his expression unreadable.

"That… was a really good nap," Colin finally says after a long silence.

"Yeah, it was," Bradley agrees.

***

The third time it happens they finally talk about it.

"I think it must be something to do with shared body heat. And, like internal rhythms, or something," Colin says.

"Internal rhythms?" Bradley asks, raising his eyebrows sceptically as he lies back on the narrow sofa.

Colin waves his hand in the air. "Yeah, it's why babies sleep best in their mothers' arms."

Bradley snorts as Colin stretches alongside of him. "Rhythms. Okay then."

"Yeah, rhythms. How else do you explain it?" Colin asks, chuckling softly against Bradley's neck.

***

The fourth time it happens they don't even try to pretend that they haven't been thinking about this all day.

"God, I am so ready for this," Bradley says as they enter the trailer.

"I haven't slept this well since I was a kid. D'you think that's a little weird?" Colin asks as he kicks off his shoes.

"Maybe," Bradley says, stretching out on the sofa and lifting his arm so Colin can lie along side of him, his head resting on Bradley's chest.

"Ah well, it's just a nap," Colin says sleepily, his breath soft against Bradley's neck.

Bradley runs a hand up the length of Colin's back and tilts his chin down, finally getting a proper face full of dark hair. It smells like shampoo and sweat and fresh air — familiar already and so very Colin, and Bradley swallows hard and tries not to be too obvious about breathing him in.

"Yeah, just a nap," he answers, closing his eyes.

***

The fifth time it happens is when everything goes to hell.

Looking back later, Bradley supposes he should have seen it coming. After all, there's no lock on the door of trailer, and not all that many places to hide.

Bradley's eyes snap open at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Standing just inside the door is Katie with a smirk on her face and an eyebrow so high it would make Richard proud.

"What?" he says, already defensive. "We just fell asleep."

"You just fell asleep. Like _that_?" she asks incredulously.

Bradley sits up and pushes Colin forcefully, shoving him away.

"Jesus, Bradley," Colin mumbles, still half asleep, but when he sees Katie, he jerks away and is halfway across the trailer before Bradley can respond.

Colin's hair is mussed and his face is flushed pink either from sleep or embarrassment, and Bradley looks away, trying to clear his head and focus on the conversation at hand.

"So, do you two do this often?" Katie asks with a delighted grin.

"What? No. What? Look, it was just — I mean, we fell asleep. It was a mistake," Bradley says.

"This is just like that episode of Friends," Katie says gleefully.

"Yeah, and if you recall, it was just a nap for them as well," Colin retorts, his eyes flashing angrily.

Katie shrugs. "You don't need to get mad at me. I'm just the observer here."

"Well, there's not much to observe," Colin retorts. "There is _nothing_ going on here."

"I'll just leave you two alone then," Katie says, still grinning as she turns to leave.

Bradley follows her out without looking at Colin.

"Bradley, wait," Colin calls, but Bradley ignores him.

***

The sixth time, it doesn't happen at all.

Things are strained between them, and it doesn't help matters that Katie smirks every time she looks at Bradley in between takes. Bradley finally corners Colin at the end of the day, just before they are all about to head back to the hotel for a three-day break from filming.

"Look, I don't know what this whole thing is all about, but I don't think we should do this anymore."

"It's no big deal, really," Colin says with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "It was just a nap, yeah?"

"Yeah," Bradley replies and turns and walks away.

***

Bradley manages to stay away from Colin for almost the entirety of the long weekend, but on the night before filming is set to start again, there's a knock on his door.

"C'mon Bradley, open up," Colin's voice comes from the hall.

With a sigh, Bradley crosses the room and opens the door. "What do you want?"

"Why are you avoiding me?" Colin asks, holding a plastic bag in each hand.

"I'm not," Bradley lies.

"Good. Then I'm coming in," he says, and shoves past Bradley into the room, flopping down on the bed and dropping the bags beside him.

"No really, what are you doing here?" Bradley asks again, crossing his arms over his chest.

Colin grins. "I brought snacks _and_ movies."

Bradley smiles back in spite of himself. "Fine. What are we watching?"

An hour later, Bradley is feeling very relaxed. Colin is stretched on his back beside him on the bed, one hand tucked under his head, the other resting on his stomach. Bradley studies him from the corner of his eye, watching the rise and fall of his chest under the fabric of his grey t-shirt. It's faded and worn, and Bradley wonders if it would be soft under his fingers. Then he wonders how Colin would look if Bradley pulled the shirt over his head. Bradley closes his eyes and decides that's probably enough wondering about Colin and his shirt for the night.

He turns his attention back to the movie, and that lasts for all of about 5 minutes before he's back to wondering about Colin and his clothes and how much better it would be if they were off and he could just —

"It's late," Bradley says abruptly. "We have filming really early."

Colin tilts his head and looks at Bradley inquisitively. "It's not _that_ late."

"Yeah well, what can I say. I need my beauty sleep. And that means you need to leave."

"What, you don't want me to sleep here?" Colin asks, smirking at him from across the bed.

He's kidding. Bradley knows he's kidding yet he can't help the way his gut clenches at the thought.

"You're hilarious, really," he says as offhandedly as he can manage.

"Oh come on," Colin continues, teasing, "just for old time's sake."

Colin rolls up onto his side and drapes one leg over Bradley's thighs in an exaggerated mockery of the way they used to nap. Bradley panics and shoves at Colin's shoulder, trying to move him away before he gets too close. He's hard in his jeans — has been since he started thinking about stripping Colin down — but Colin only laughs and pushes him back. It's ridiculous really — Bradley is heavier by about 30 pounds, but Colin's over him and he's got leverage, and maybe, just maybe, Bradley doesn't want to stop him all that much anyway. They struggle for a moment, and then Colin's thigh moves over Bradley's groin and he freezes.

The smile fades from Colin's face and he stares at Bradley intently before bringing one hand up and sliding it very deliberately down Bradley's side. He fiddles with the hem of his shirt for a moment and then moves his hand underneath, stroking the skin of Bradley's stomach with tentative fingers. Bradley's breath hitches in his chest but he keeps his eyes focused on Colin.

"What're you doing?" Bradley asks hoarsely.

Colin flattens his palm over Bradley's ribs and drops his head to his chest.

"I have no idea," Colin answers, his voice muffled in the fabric of Bradley's shirt.

It's familiar yet not, Colin tucked under his chin in a way that he knows and his warm hands on his skin in a way that is all new. Bradley moves his head fractionally and gets a whiff of Colin's hair, and he's reminded instantly of sleepy afternoons and the pressure of a warm body against his own.

"Hey," Bradley whispers, and when Colin lifts his head to look at him, Bradley hooks his fingers around the back of his neck and brings their faces together for a kiss.

Colin's lips are warm and yielding under his own, and before Bradley even has a chance to think about what he's doing, his tongue is sliding into Colin's mouth, hot and slick. For a few moments it's quiet except for the soft, wet sounds of their mouths, but then Colin pulls back, staring down at Bradley, his mouth red and swollen.

"Bradley," Colin murmurs breathlessly, a hint of a question in his voice and Bradley answers by pulling Colin the rest of the way on top of him and kissing him again, urging and intent.

Bradley loves it — loves the way Colin's stubble feels on his face, and the way Colin groans in his mouth when he sucks on his tongue. When Colin pulls back again, panting heavily, Bradley hooks his fingers under the hem of his shirt and tugs. Colin lifts his arms over his head, and as Bradley tosses the shirt to the side and shifts up to kiss a path down Colin's chest, he decides it's even better than he'd imagined earlier. Then it's a flurry of movement and fabric, shirts and trousers tangling as they pull them off with impatience.

When Bradley finds himself flat on his back with his legs spread, Colin leaning over him, propped on his elbows, he has a moment of panic at how very unfamiliar this is, but when Colin rolls his hips, slow and tentative, Bradley stops caring. And maybe he hasn't ever been here before, but it's not hard to figure out what feels good, so he wraps his legs around Colin's thighs and arches up to meet him.

Colin pants wetly against Bradley's neck as he thrusts, and they slide together, all hot slick skin and slow, careful movements. It's good — it's so good, but not quite enough, so Bradley reaches down and wraps his hand around them both, stroking in time with Colin's thrusts, and it's not long before they're both moaning into each other's mouths as they move.

Bradley slides his free hand down over Colin's back, resting on the swell of his backside and pulls him closer with every thrust, rolling his hips up as he jerks them together. When Colin pushes down hard and groans his name, Bradley comes all over his hand and all over Colin. It only takes a few more strokes with his slick hand before Colin comes, gasping into Bradley's neck.

Colin rolls off eventually, and they lie side by side in silence as they catch their breath. Eventually Bradley fumbles for his discarded t-shirt and wipes himself clean.

"I should probably go. You were right about an early start tomorrow," Colin says finally, but Bradley grabs him by the wrist when he moves to get up off the bed.

"I think it would be in everyone's best interest if we are both very well rested tomorrow, don't you think?" Bradley asks softly.

Colin smiles at him, and it's full of hope and promise.

"Sounds like a fabulous idea to me," he answers and curls himself along Bradley's side, tucking his head under his chin.

Bradley wraps his arm around Colin's back and buries his face in his hair, breathing deeply, not trying to hide it anymore.


End file.
